Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in West Reading, PA

Discover affordable housing in West Reading where there are 1+ housing opportunities based on income and household needs like accessible units for seniors or persons with disabilities. Find and apply to these low income apartments now.

Bakery Apartments

3rd and Franklin Sts, West Reading, Pennsylvania 19602

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In West Reading, Pennsylvania
$25.00/hour
$17.75 (+245%) more than Pennsylvania minimum wage and $17.75 (+245%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About West Reading, Pennsylvania Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve West Reading, Pennsylvania?

Public Housing Agencies operate federally assisted affordable housing programs at local levels on behalf of HUD. Notably, housing agencies are responsible for managing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher waiting lists within their jurisdiction.

Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Public Housing programs for West Reading, Pennsylvania.

Go to the Pennsylvania Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near West Reading.

How many renters live in West Reading, Pennsylvania?

The City of West Reading has 4,533 people living in 1,772 households.

There are 1,937 renters living in 915 renter households in this City. Renters make up 42.73 percent of the population living in West Reading.

What is the rental market like in West Reading, Pennsylvania?

There are an estimated 1,831 housing units in the West Reading area. Of these, 974 units are rental homes, making up 53 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in West Reading, Pennsylvania, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in West Reading?

The rental vacancy rate in West Reading is 2 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.

How many rental units are in West Reading for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in West Reading
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
18 262 417 144 60
Occupied Rental Units by Size in West Reading

A large number of apartments in West Reading have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.

How many renter households in West Reading are overburdened by housing costs?

Among renter households in this market, 54 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 17 percent of households are extremely rent overburdened. When renters pay too much for their housing, it leaves little money for other necessities like food, clothes, or medicine.

The federal government says that renters are cost-burdened if they pay more than a third of their monthly income for rent and utilities.

How Much Is Rent in West Reading

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $895 to $1,758. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $895
One BR $1,041
Two BR $1,320
Three BR $1,649
Four BR $1,758
2024 Fair Market Rents in West Reading, Pennsylvania

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in West Reading?

Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.

These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:

Unit Size Count of Units Below FMR Percentage of Total Units Below FMR
Studio 10 56 percent
One BR 140 53 percent
Two BR 253 61 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in West Reading, Pennsylvania

How many affordable rental units are in West Reading?

Income Based Apartments in West Reading, Pennsylvania

West Reading features 0 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.

Low Rent Apartments in West Reading, Pennsylvania

There are 27 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in West Reading.

Housing Choice Vouchers in West Reading, Pennsylvania

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay West Reading landlords $500 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in West Reading.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in West Reading, Pennsylvania for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,188 and $1,452.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.